


Hearts Still Bleed Underwater

by Phisobi



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fear, First Meetings, G/T, Giant/Tiny, M/M, Mermaids, Original Character(s), Size Difference, Starvation, Trapped, Tumblr Prompt, mentions of being eaten but no vore here folks, merfolk, not a kink tag, stinky humans and their over-fishing, this was supposed to be a oneshot but we all know what happens when i get inspired, uhhhhh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:34:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28402557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phisobi/pseuds/Phisobi
Summary: Across the deep blue there's rumors of a rare plant that can cure any illness. It's extremely difficult to obtain but, despite the ever-stacking odds, one of the ocean's smallest inhabitants has made it his mission to find it. He sneaks away from home in search of it for his sister, throwing his life on the line and meeting other dangers and friends along the way!This story contains a multitude of fictional elements like mermaids, and speaking english underwater, and tetras not being an exclusively freshwater fish, and ocean moss, and im basically just making stuff up as i go but shhhhh let's just ignore all that :^)-Based off of this drawing of mine on tumblr: https://bottlesandbuttons.tumblr.com/post/638692675692920832/this-is-so-messy-anyway-neon-tetras-have-funand all other art/asks/size references for the characters can be found here: https://bottlesandbuttons.tumblr.com/tagged/hearts_still_bleed_underwater/
Comments: 24
Kudos: 60





	1. Chapter 1

Cory narrowed his eyes, glaring out into the vast open waters from the small cave he called home. The water felt undisturbed, suspiciously so, but a quick glance upwards told him all that he needed to know. 

Spotting the top of the water was an array of human vessels, roaming about the surface with their noisy metal contraptions. The vibrations drove any nearby schools of fish far away, with fewer and fewer coming back to their spawnpoint every year. Needless to say, hunting was getting difficult, and was damn near impossible on days like this.

Most merfolk would just follow the schools’ migration to farther waters, and continue hunting there.  
  


But any rational merfolk could see that this part of the ocean was _dying_ and so were its inhabitants. 

The surface wasn’t the only part of the ocean that humans polluted. More than once before Cory had to reluctantly change homes due to the water condition in the surrounding area; It seemed they deemed his kin’s territory their dumping grounds, draining toxins into the water and throwing whatever wasn’t wanted over the sides of their boats. For a while the shiny things that drifted to the ocean floor had interested him, but even that just became more of their clutter. They were disruptive, loud, dirty, and in no way deserved anything more than a grimace from the mer.  
  
If he saw one drowning, he would not save it.

He had a heart, of course, but over time it had blackened like the oil that they spilled beneath the waves.

Pushing the thoughts from his head he carefully pressed on through the corals, towards the deeper, open waters. He was by no means the smallest mer to roam the reefs, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have to watch his back. He’s seen shadows of those much bigger than him passing by overhead, seen hands as big as ships reach out of the deep blue to snatch those who got too close.

He knows that he’s not the scariest thing down here by far, but that doesn’t stop a small burst of pride from creeping in under his skin and spreading a menacing smile across his face at the sights of the smaller marine life ducking away from him at any given chance. But unfortunately, a sense of power could not fill one’s stomach. The mer’s grin faded as his stomach growled something fierce, an _extra_ warning sign to anything close enough to hear it. He flicked his light green tail in agitation, gaining speed as he reached the edge of the reef.

With bated breath he prayed that he would find something easy, some small fish lazy or stupid enough to just wander into his idle jaws. But as the coral and vegetation began to thin, revealing to him the sandy ocean floor, his hope for a low-effort meal steadily faded.

Much like his stomach, it was empty. Truly, utterly, empty.

Not a school of fish in sight, not a single crab scuttling around without a care in it’s world. Even the most active currents remained unridden by fin - his grimace turned into a deep scowl. His home was dying once more, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Nervously Cory looked around, hoping that maybe the absence of life was just thanks to a much larger predator in the area. If it was, then he could sit out their passage and wait for the seabed to return to life as normal.

If it wasn’t.. then, well, he might have to turn towards more desperate measures.

His anxious glances finally landed on the large crevasse in the ground a little ways away, where the water grew cold and dark so fast it’s said it could freeze a reef mer solid. Not many dared to travel into it and see what secrets it held-- Most of those that were stupid enough to try had never come back out, and that fact alone often deterred the rest of the ‘brave adventurers’ that once passed through these parts by the dozen.

But now, there was no one. No one to whisper about what horrors lie beneath the blackness, no one to place bets with about who would return with how many limbs, and who wouldn't return at all.

No one to stop him from going closer.

After making sure the coast was clear, the blonde slowly hovered closer to the edge with a morbid curiosity. His eyes widened as they landed on the depths unfolding beneath him. His hands curled against the lip of the rock and he gripped hard, a part of him knowing that was the only thing holding him back. As he stared, a piece beneath his fingers shifted and crumbled forwards, quickly disappearing into the inky blackness as it fell into the deepest reaches of the water.

Cory’s stomach sunk at the sight and he chuckled humourlessly at the thoughts of a pebble being braver than him to brace the icy depths. Cautiously, he pulled himself away from the edge. He was hungry, ridiculously so, but his sanity still remained. There would be no glorious meal waiting for him at the bottom of it, or at least not one that he could see.

No, if he wanted to _find_ food instead of _being_ it, he’d have to stay up here. Once again, his eyes narrowed in search. If there was nothing on this side of the crevasse, then maybe there was something on the other? One last look at the barren sand around him told him that it was at least worth a shot to look around.

  
  


He could see the other side perfectly fine, littered with small human trinkets glistening softly in the sun. It was so incredibly enticing, as if to say “Look at me, I’m full of goodies!” and it was only a short swim away. A short swim over a very deep, very scary, seemingly endless hole in the ground. A hole deep enough to let something sneak up on him without him noticing until it was far too late. A hole that he never thought he’d cross.

Until now.

As much as he hated being driven farther and farther away from his home just to eat, he knew that this would be his best bet. After a deep sigh he steeled his nerves, and readied himself for take off.

The rush of cold water that engulfed his body as he flew over the deepest part was a cold unlike any other. It was a cold that felt unwelcoming, like he was trespassing and about to be caught. But no crushing grip ever came, no giant creature rose to swallow him whole. True to the surrounding waters, it seemed just as empty as it looked. Cory swallowed the lump rising in his throat, refusing to look down any longer as he closed off the distance of the gap.

When he hit the other side the mer was immediately greeted with a wave of warmth once more, making him sigh in relief. It hadn’t felt as big of a deal as his brain was making it out to be, but with how today was going he wasn’t about to try his luck.

After making it past the worst part, it was time to look for a snack.

He decided that in his search he’d leave no stone unturned-- for all he knew, an entire family of shellfish could be hiding beneath any of this junk, just waiting for him to dig in. Cory’s mouth watered at the thoughts, and he quickly got to work.

He swam slowly, stopping at every single knickknack buried in the sand. He was thorough with his inspection, but it was still yielding no results. His scowl returned as he flipped over what had to be the twentieth piece of human junk, to no avail. 

Slowly he lost his patience, and over the sound of his own internal annoyance he was oblivious to the whirring and clicking of the giant vessel above him.

It was by sheer blind luck that he had seen the shadow far above, and turned around in time to act.

Trailing behind him, gaining speed, was a fishing net the size of the cave that he slept in. It dragged across the ground, stirring up sand and catching everything in its wake, pieces of debris and mer alike.

Cory cursed under his breath and dove into action, quickly abandoning his search for food in favour of high-tailing it out of there as fast as his fins could take him. How stupid he’d been, to have let down his guard so much. How blind he felt, to not realize that the reason every living creature abandoned this area was thanks to the humans extending their treacheries to where they weren’t invited. They were messing with his life more than they could ever know, and with each passing day his seething resentment only grew.

The mer pushed on, propelling himself forwards over the sand as fast as he could go. A quick check over his shoulder revealed that he was slowly winning this race with death, but when he looked back down, something else took over his triumphant thoughts entirely.

_What was that?_

In the blink of an eye something tiny and bright red had darted across his vision, diving into a small glass bottle. It stopped him momentarily in his tracks, long enough to get a good look at what it was. His heart raced at the prospect of food, but when his eyes landed on the wide, terrified eyes of another mer, he blanked. Any sense about what to do had completely left him. For a moment he hovered there, staring into the glass, but that moment didn’t last long as he remembered the looming threat of the net growing ever closer. 

And the bottle was right in its path.

In a split second decision Cory wrapped his hands around the bottle and continued to speed off, promptly ignoring the tiny squeak of fear that emanated from inside the glass.

After gaining enough speed to duck to the side, Cory quickly pulled the two of them out of the net’s way just as it began to pull back up to the surface. He continued on in a random direction for a few moments longer for safe measure, watching as the net disappeared entirely before returning his attention back to the matter in hand.

Literally.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> how many times can i use the word mer in a chapter challenge

Keppler shook violently from within the walls of his glass prison, cursing himself for thinking that it had been a good idea to hide here in the first place. It was transparent, of  _ course  _ he’d be seen! And now he’d been caught, stuck at the mercy of whoever had ripped his shelter out of its place. 

He could feel that they were travelling fast, faster than he had ever swam before in his life. He glanced out through the bottle at the sand passing by beneath, wondering just where in the world his captor was taking him. Fortunately, the trip didn’t last long. Unfortunately, that meant that all of the attention was now on him.

He stared up, and up and up until his eyes met with those of a mer much, much bigger than he was. 

The same mer that had been chasing him. One that was likely not going to let his ‘meal’ get away or hide forever.

He swallowed the lump rising in his throat, jaw clenched in terror. He  _ knew _ that it had been a bad idea to leave the shoal today, and was even warned against it, but it was too late to berate himself now.

A frantic, anxious voice rang loud in his ears, drowning out any and all rationality.

_ “Ooooh, you’ve done it now, it’s totally going to eat you.”  _ His imagination sneered. The thoughts made him go pale, and curl in on himself even further. Maybe if he made himself look even smaller, he wouldn’t seem worth the time it would take to break the bottle open. Maybe he could escape and make it back to his family, if only so he could say “I told you so” to everyone that thought he wouldn’t survive.

Maybe he could still find that plant, and make it back in time to save his sister.

“A tetra..” The larger mer spoke first, breaking the deafening silence between the two. Keppler’s attention whipped back up to the giant, too afraid to take his eyes off of the predator for long. He said nothing in response, only staring back into those hungry silver eyes like they would be the last thing he ever saw.

Only their eyes weren’t filled with hunger and malice like he had thought they’d be, but rather a curious look instead. Something akin to…  _ awe _ . Whatever it was, it didn’t sit right with the little mer, and he made no move to reciprocate the excitement. 

Upon seeing his lack of a response, the larger mer spoke up once more.

“It’s okay, you’re safe now. You can come out of there.”   
  
Keppler almost laughed at how wrong that statement was. In the hands of something so large with teeth so sharp, he was  _ anything _ but safe.

He said nothing again, only shaking his head in response. If he could bide himself a little more time, then he could maybe live long enough to figure a way out.

The larger mer sighed, momentarily dropping his attempts at communication in favour of looking around. A puzzled expression rippled across his face, one that didn’t go unnoticed by Keppler. If the giant had swam them into unfamiliar territory, then maybe he could use this to his advantage. The mini mer knew these parts like the scales on his own tail-- if he could just make it out of the bottle, he could likely lose the other in the rocks not far from his shoal.

But did he really want to drag a dangerous predator so close to home? He bit his lip in worry, going over plans A to Z in his head and still coming up with nothing.

After another minute of the giant aimlessly looking around, his attention turned back to the bottle.

“You wouldn’t happen to know the way back to the red reef, would you?” He asked.

Keppler didn’t respond.

“Yeah, thought so..” The other mer mumbled, chewing his lip in frustration. There were so many new currents surrounding him, and he couldn’t tell which one led to home. To add salt to the wound, he couldn’t even remember which way he had turned in his panicked escape from the approaching net. It was clear as day that he was lost without a clue of where to turn. 

So he turned to the only thing he could.

“Can you tell me  _ anything _ ?” He asked to the bottle in his hands.

Again, he received no response.

“ _ Fine _ ,” the sudden irritation in his voice made Keppler’s heart rate spike. But instead of an outburst like he was expecting, the bottle was slowly lowered away from those prying eyes and menacing teeth, the front of it facing the open water.

“Just leave, I’ll find my own way home.” The blonde frowned, looking away dejectedly.

The tiny mer almost couldn’t believe it- he was just  _ letting him go? _ It was puzzling, and the more he thought about it the more he found he  _ didn’t _ believe it. It had to be a trap of some sort, a lure to get him out and then snatch him when his guard was down. He hesitated, lingering at the back of the bottle as far away from the entrance as his little body could fit. Nervously, his gaze flicked between the giant mer and the open bottleneck, unsure of what to do.

“Hmm?” The larger mer hummed in confusion upon seeing that he still hadn’t made a move. “Shells, don’t tell me that you’re stuck in there..” He sighed.

Keppler shook his head.    
  
“Not stuck..” He squeaked out, barely even registering the words as his own.

“Then why haven’t you left?”

The tetra mer narrowed his eyes in confusion.

“Why would I leave, when you’re just going to eat me the second I get out of here?” He accused, feeling much safer being alone in the small confined space than in an entire open ocean beside someone he didn’t trust.

“Well luckily for you, I’m already full of annoying stowaway.” He grumbled irritably, before dropping his anger with an exhausted sigh.

“Look, I wouldn’t have saved your life and offered you freedom if I was just going to take it away. I know I’m not really the friendly type, but I’m also not a liar.”

“‘Saved my life’?!” Keppler echoed incredulously, fighting through his lingering shock from the whole event. “I thought you were the one trying to  _ end _ it!” 

“You really didn’t see it?” The other asked. “The net?”

Keppler shook his head. “No, actually, I was too busy  _ fearing for my life _ !”

“Well you wouldn’t  _ have a life _ right now if I had let it sweep you up, so  _ you’re welcome. _ ” He retorted bitterly.

The smaller mer glared up through the glass, not wanting to believe a word of it. It was all lies, it had to be.

But on the other hand, what did he gain by trying to convince him that it was safe, rather than pry him out of there forcefully? If anything it was just wasting his time, something he didn’t seem too fond of doing. Maybe it was the truth after all? Or maybe Keppler was just extremely gullible. 

Either way he slowly inched his way towards the front of the bottle, resting a hand on the inside of the glass. He was only a couple centimetres away from the opening, but he lingered in hesitation.

“...Promise it’s safe?” He asked after a moment, feeling like out of all of his plans of escape, taking his captors  _ word _ was the worst one of them all. But so far, all of his red flags had been disproven.

The giant rolled his eyes, and opened his mouth to respond in affirmation, but what came out wasn’t a language at all. Instead it was another body-rumbling stomach growl, sending vibrations all the way through the bottle in his hands and into the ears of the little mer, who ducked back into safety, heart racing a mile a minute.    
  
Of course it was a trap! No one  _ that _ hungry would pass up an opportunity like this.. How stupid could he be to trust so blindly? 

In a matter of seconds the two were back at square one, with Keppler pressed against the back of the bottle and the giant mer seeming none the merrier. The small brunet stared up in fear, hardly able to believe the danger he almost just put himself in.

Above him the bigger mer sighed. This was not how things were supposed to be going.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I know its a little confusing as to why Kep's currently out there in the first place, but all will be explained <3

Cory dragged a long clawed hand down his face, dreading this entire interaction. He understood the little tetra’s fear; to survive a life that small, one had to be skeptical. His reaction was perfectly reasonable, but Cory didn’t know what else to do to prove that he wasn’t a threat. He didn’t want to force the little guy out of there, but his words weren’t working either. He cursed his empty stomach- his energy was draining, and he didn’t have the time or patience to deal with something like this for much longer.

After a few moments of thought he came to the best solution he could find, and started descending towards the ocean floor once more. Without another word he simply placed the bottle back into the sand, top up, and swam away a few feet as he continued to look around for anything to identify his location.

But to his dismay there were no familiarities around him at all, no unique rock formation or wayward geyser to help pinpoint his way home, no one to ask for directions. He’d never ventured out this way until today, but he was slowly starting to regret it. After some more aimless staring he simply chose a direction that felt right, and just decided to go with it. He was tired and his judgement was clouded, but going with his gut feeling usually didn’t lead him astray. If he was right, then he’d be back at the crevasse in no time. 

But today didn’t seem like a day for being right.

The sand and rocks seemed to stretch on and on, blending into more unfamiliar vegetation. He grumbled under his breath as he realized that he was going the wrong way, and quickly turned himself around. There were no notable landmarks in sight from the way he had just come from either, making his journey back all the more difficult.

If only that thankless little tetra had actually said anything useful,  _ anything  _ to help him know where he was. He considered for a moment going up to the surface and trying to navigate home that way, but after the entire net event he wanted nothing more than to be as far away from humans as physically possible. 

He sighed as he continued on, muttering to himself under his breath at the ridiculousness of it all. Evening was rapidly approaching, and he really did not feel like traversing the open waters in the deadest hours of night. If he couldn’t find his way back soon then he’d be confined to a night in unfamiliar territory, in whatever shelter he could find. 

Though the water grew dimmer by the minute, Cory was still able to see a small school of fish passing through some of the rocks nearby. His heart nearly skipped a beat after his eyes locked on their glittering scales, and almost on command he shifted into full on predator mode. He snaked through the shadows as best as he could, tailing them with a slow advancement. He knew that this was taking him wildly off course once more, but that meant very little to him in his current state. 

He stalked them around a few more corners, until they came to a much more open area, one that gave him enough room to strike. The mer waited with incredible patience for an opportunity to arise; he knew that he only had one shot at this, and he better make it count.

With great force he propelled himself forward as fast as he could, hands ready to grab any unlucky fish that couldn’t sense the danger in time to make it out alive. That was just the way the ocean worked; it was hunt or be hunted.

And if you couldn’t hunt, you would die.

So Cory cursed through his gritted teeth as his claws grasped at the empty water. All around him, the fish started to disperse in a panic. In his adrenaline he lashed out a few more times as fast as he could, each swipe missing more and more pathetically as his energy drained to subzero levels once more. He sighed as the entire group skittered away, disappearing into the horizon. 

Adrenaline morphed into anger, and Cory bashed his fist against the nearest rock as he seethed over his failures. It was like the universe was actively trying to kill him-- even just  _ one  _ thing going right would feel like a miracle at this point. 

He let some of the tension out of his shoulders as he forced himself to relax and not lose his temper, but his jaw remained clenched. He was still thoroughly pissed off, but held on to hope as he continued to look around for more fish.

There had to be  _ some  _ hope that he could sate this burning hunger, some hope that he’d have enough energy when he woke to try and find his way home again.

Eventually, all of his emotion faded into a dull numbness, almost as if he were simply too tired to feel anything anymore. Everything today had been completely exhausting; he hadn’t even succeeded in doing the one thing he left the cave for today. Instead he went and got himself lost like an idiot, too weak to do anything about it. His stomach ate away at itself piece by piece, tearing him apart from the inside out. It was a pain that he’d been used to before, but never this bad. 

He tensed up as his body seized, going through another hunger spasm. When it passed his eyes tried their hardest to scan the ocean floor, as one last resort to find anything to sustain him, but everything just seemed to blur together at the edges. Focusing was almost impossible.

At one point he grabbed a fist full of kelp, and stared at it with a stone cold expression.

Other merfolk ate both plants and meat alike-- so maybe he could try as well? He was well aware that he was a carnivore, but in his delirium he was close to doing anything to get rid of this gnawing feeling inside of him.

_ Close _ , but not quite there. After a few more moments of staring at it like it might be worth the sickness it would induce, Cory let go. He watched as the strands floated aimlessly in the water, wishing that they were fish to chase instead. What he wouldn’t give for a big, juicy tuna right about now. 

But once more he seemed utterly alone, and his fatigue was slowly consuming him. He’d been swimming for so long now without a break-- or had it only been a few minutes? He couldn’t remember.

He barely remembered pulling himself into a dark little crook in the rocks, curling himself into the corner. If he could just sleep off this sluggishness, he would be fine in the morning. 

Or so he told himself, until he drifted into unconsciousness.

///////

  
  


Keppler waited in anticipation as the bottle was nestled back into the sand, looking for some sort of trick to unfold, some sort of flaw in this weird mind game the other was playing. But as he watched the larger mer swim farther and farther away from him without a word, he couldn’t help but quirk an eyebrow in his direction. Was he serious then, about letting him go? It didn’t seem like he cared about leaving the bottle there, and so Keppler didn’t wait for a better opportunity.

As fast as his limbs could take him he shot out of the bottleneck and into the open waters once more, taking a deep breath of freedom as his heart pounded mercilessly in his chest. He was  _ free _ . He’d  _ actually made it out alive. _

All because the giant had really kept his word.

After gaining his bearings the tiny mer stared in the direction of his home for a short moment, considering just heading back early. But he still hadn’t found what he came here to look for, there was no way he’d return empty handed just because he’d gotten a little scared. He couldn’t give up so soon on saving her life, he’d never live it down.

His head whipped back towards the opposite direction, where the larger mer had left for, replaying everything that had just happened in his mind. If he was looking for the red reef, then he was headed in the entirely wrong direction. Keppler bit his lip, realizing that he probably  _ could  _ have been nice enough to lend a little navigational advice, instead of being consumed by his fear.

But it wasn’t his fault that his instincts always told him to run and hide, and it wasn’t like he was the only one! Marine life everywhere seemed to part away from the giant mer as he sulked through the waters, growing more and more distant by the second. But maybe.. he could use that to his advantage?

If other potential predators were being kept at bay, then that would give him the perfect chance to look for the plant without constantly looking over his shoulder. If he just stuck nearby, he would be safe to continue his search.

And so he followed in the blonde’s wake, insisting to himself that it was to progress his mission, and totally not because he was curious and wanted to spy. 

For a while he did actually use the cover to search more thoroughly, but it soon became difficult to stay out of sight, stay alert, and not fall behind all at the same time. Eventually he dropped his search for now, in favour of just watching the giant mer in front of him in barely disguised fascination.

The small tetra watched as the blonde turned this way and that, only growing more irritated as he became more lost, making Keppler feel a little worse about things as time went on. He didn’t have long to think on it though, before the two had slowed to a halt entirely. Following his gaze, Keppler’s eyes landed on a small school of fish, each about twice the size of him. It didn’t take him long to realize what was about to happen, and he quickly diverted his eyes with a wince as the other made a lunge for one.

But the groan of frustration that followed moments later told him that it hadn’t been a success. Keppler peered back over the large rock he was hiding behind, feeling something in his chest tighten at the look of defeat that crossed the larger mer’s face. But it was only there for a moment before it was replaced with a scowl, and the two were on the move again.

Although, something definitely seemed off. 

Before long the blonde had started taking them in a big lazy circle, seemingly unintentionally. Idly Keppler wondered just  _ how _ hungry he was, and how much it was affecting him. But he got enough of an answer as he witnessed the other stare at a bundle of kelp, tongue rolling over his needle-sharp teeth in contemplation. He was in no way equipped to digest something like that, was he really that desperate? 

Thankfully, through the glaze over his eyes, he seemed to have enough sense to let it go. The small brunet let out a sigh of relief. 

After a few more minutes of confused wandering Keppler was about to intervene, when the other suddenly pulled himself into a crack in the rocks. Figuring that he was still in search of food, he hadn’t expected to peer over the edge and find him nestled in the bottom of the hollow formation, looking two tail flicks away from death. His arms were wrapped around his stomach, and his face looked set in pain. 

Keppler’s own expression contorted into one that he couldn’t name. One less giant roaming the waters was a  _ good  _ thing, something that he should delight in knowing. But he couldn’t bring himself to feel anything but remorse.

While the blonde was definitely a predator, he was also one of the most interesting people Keppler had ever met in his entire life, aside from the shoal elders and their wild stories.

He’d broken every expectation the tetra had of him, and starved himself to save his life  _ twice _ .

He didn’t have to think long before deciding that he would help. Too much sleep would be lost otherwise, knowing that he actively played a part in the death of someone who hadn’t done anything wrong.

With a flick of his tail and a quick stitch in his bleeding heart, he left to do the best that he could. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ghhhh this one's really short >:^L but it was probably the most fun to write so far <3

About an hour into Cory’s restless sleep he was woken up once more, despite him wanting to remain asleep for the rest of eternity. At least when he was unconscious he could ignore the pain, and pretend like things weren’t as bad as they really were.

A light touch caressed his arm, and he shifted away from the foreign sensation. If he was any more coherent he would have probably worried about just  _ what _ exactly was touching him, but the only thing that he wanted right now was to fall back asleep.

Unfortunately that was easier said than done, especially as his foggy brain began to pick up distant words.

“--ke up, _come_ _on_.”

Cory barely creaked an eye open, his half-lidded gaze landing on a small blur of colour. 

A small red and blue blur of colour.

“Oh… Tetra,” He spoke, his words as sluggish as his movements. It didn’t seem like much was going on behind his tired eyes. He knew how laughable of a state he was in right now- was that why he was here? To watch him suffer?

“Come to gloat?” He asked dryly. “Now’s the time.”

There was a short moment of silence, before the smaller mer replied.

“No you big jerk, I came to  _ help _ .” He retorted. “Now sit up so you can eat.”

That seemed to get Cory’s attention, and he shifted again to get a better look at the other. The small tetra backed away slightly, still obviously incredibly on edge in his presence, but he didn’t flee. Instead he pointed to the ground beneath him where four decently sized mussels sat, freshly dug out of the ground. Each one of them had to be at least a third of the little mer’s size-- had he really gone through so much effort just to bring him some food? 

The blonde quirked an eyebrow. With how he had acted earlier, this behaviour made no sense.

“..Why would you help me?” He asked out of genuine curiosity, not wasting any time in reaching for one of the mollusks and prying it open with his claws.

“Why would you let me go?” His question was answered with another.

Cory didn’t reply, too busy savouring every bite he could get out of the little shellfish. Mussels had never been his favourite by a long shot, but at this point he felt he could eat a whole net full of them.

  
  


“You didn’t have to, but you did.” The tetra continued matter-of-factly. “And I don't  _ have _ to help you, but I am.” 

So it was pity he felt, then. On any other day it would have bothered Cory deeply to be such a sad sight that even the smallest of mers couldn’t help but feel bad for him. On any other day he would have refused the help, his pride getting in the way. But he couldn’t afford to be arrogant at a time like this. 

“...Appreciated.” He gave his reluctant thanks with a nod, discarding the cracked open shells to one of the many dents in the rock at his side.

A heavy silence settled between the two as Cory ate all that he could. He sat back with a sigh as he finished, glancing over to his left. Very slowly, his vision cleared a little more.

“What’s your name, little tetra?” He asked with a small tilt to his head.

“U-uhm, it’s Keppler.” The nervous mer replied.

“Cory.” He introduced.

“....If you’re from the red reef, then why were you down in the flats?” Keppler asked, voice coated in caution. It was something that he’d pondered the entire time that he followed him. 

Cory looked away dejectedly.

“My home is growing barren. There’s nothing left to hunt.” 

“Then why don’t you leave..?”   
  


Cory’s gaze hardened as he stared at the rock wall opposite to where he sat. It was much more complicated than that- He could keep running from place to place like everyone else had, being corralled to different reefs by tireless human fishing practices, but he was sick of it. For his whole life he’d been driven away from home due to resources growing scarce; for  _ once _ he just wanted to stay, to out-hunt the land roamers and drive them away from his waters for good. 

But he knew that wasn’t possible. Even after sabotaging almost every idle net and trap that he could get his hands on, there were always more of them the next day. It was an uphill battle he knew he couldn’t win, but his desire to fight it never faded.

“I shouldn’t have to.” He simply sighed, shaking his head lightly. “But I might.”

Keppler nodded in understanding. Not much was fair in the ways of life under the waves, he knew that better than anyone. 

“I can help you get back home…” He offered, biting his lip in anticipation. “If you help me too.”

Cory’s eyes narrowed, unsure if he liked the implications of that. He usually wasn’t one for making deals, but the idea of not being lost anymore could not sound sweeter to his ears and it seemed that he was face to face with the only person around for miles who might actually be able to help him out. He pondered it for a moment, before deciding that luck had finally chosen his side.

“If I agree, what does me helping you entail?” He asked, tone drenched in suspicion. 

“Just.. protection?” Keppler’s voice rose in hope, almost not believing that his bargain really worked. “I’m looking for something, and I can look for it much faster without having to watch my back if you’re around.” 

“Hmm, alright.” Cory agreed, shifting once more so that he could lay as comfortably as the bare stone would let him. “Tomorrow.”

With an exhausted sigh he buried his head back in his arms, feeling a thousand percent better with something finally in his stomach. It wasn’t much, but it was infinitely better than nothing. He figured that they could talk terms in the morning, when he was counting on being much more coherent.

His stomach grumbled once more as everything digested, and he found himself getting lost in his fuzzy thoughts. He had more appreciation for Keppler’s actions than he knew how to show, so he offered the only thing he could in gratitude. 

“If you want the protection for tonight as well, you can sleep in here.” He offered, vaguely gesturing to the small alcove they were tucked away in. After all, it wasn’t like the little mer took up much space.

Keppler had one hand on the edge of the stone, ready to leave, but he hovered for a moment in thought. He was about to go find somewhere nearby, somewhere more suitable for just himself, but a night of not sleeping with one eye open honestly sounded pretty good. He drifted back down towards the massive mer, eyes landing on a small dent in the wall a little ways up. It was perfect for him to curl up into, and he decided to do just that.

“Thanks, y’know.” He said, realizing that he had never said it earlier for Cory’s initial kindness. 

But his only response was the steady rise and fall of the other’s chest, as the blonde had once again fallen unconscious.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i just really wanted to write that certain scene okay ;u;

Cory woke up slowly, feeling an ache settle deep into his bones, but he was just happy to feel anything at all. A part of him hadn’t expected to wake back up at all after he’d fallen asleep, but he was eternally grateful that he did.

Eternally grateful for the little tetra that saved his life.

The events of last night came flooding back to him, in pieces from his hazy memory, but he knew that it had all been real. His stomach still felt empty, but it was nothing compared to how it felt yesterday. To think that he’d get mercy from such a little fish, who wouldn’t stand a chance against him if he had decided to lash out. But here they were, sitting in the same cave together, a strangely unbroken line of trust forming between them.

Slowly the blonde sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he glanced at the little bundle of red and blue scales tucked neatly into a hole in the wall. He let his gaze sit there for a moment, simply taking in the details that he didn’t get to see before.

Like how bright his red hair was in the soft rays of sunlight, and how his skin was slightly different colours. It was a subtle detail but definitely visible the more that Cory stared, his fascination growing. Splotches of lighter tones decorated his face and shoulders, even going down his sides and ending at the base of his tail. But that seemed to be the end of his abnormalities-- physically, at least.

As he watched the rise and fall of the little mer’s chest, Cory couldn’t help but wonder  _ why  _ Keppler had stuck around, or why he was even out here in the first place. Tetras rarely strayed out of their social bubble, always staying close to home or traveling together when necessary. It was incredibly rare to see one out on their own, and he wondered just what drove him to be out here alone as well, but he didn’t have much time to dwell on it before the little mer awoke. 

Keppler’s eyes barely cracked before they were shot open full force, panic filling up his expression as his gaze locked on to the giant face hovering in front of him. In a matter of seconds he had ripped himself from his peaceful slumber, his body language going frigid as his back fully pressed up against the far wall in an attempt to get as much distance between them as he could. He looked  _ terrified _ . 

“Woah, hey, it’s just me..” Cory said with a confused look, backing up slightly in apology. He hadn’t meant to scare him so badly first thing in the morning.

It took a second for Keppler’s mind to catch up, processing everything that had happened between last night and now at lightning speeds. His racing heartbeat slowed to a manageable pace as Cory backed up as well, and he let out a short sigh of relief. 

“Oh.. yeah, right..” The tetra said sheepishly, not making eye contact. “Sorry, I just….” He trailed off, finishing his sentence with a wave of his hand, seemingly unable to find the words.

Cory quirked an eyebrow but decided to say nothing about the reaction, especially considering the look on the other’s face.

“We should leave soon,” was all he said in response. “If you want to do your search in daylight.”

Keppler could only agree.

\-----

The search wasn’t going well, that much was clear.

Keppler kept darting this way and that, checking behind every plant and beneath every rock for..  _ Whatever  _ he was searching for. Cory had been hovering a safe distance away as they travelled, taking the little mer’s word that they were going in the right direction. He seemed to know where they were, so it was strange that it also seemed like he didn’t know what he was trying to find. 

The question burned at the back of his mind, but he kept quiet for the majority of the search. It was kind of annoying to be traveling at such a slow pace, but he lazily trudged along. At least as they passed a particularly rocky section of their trip he had managed to snag himself a lone crab wandering about, eating it while Keppler was distracted. 

But after a while of the two of them swimming to and fro to no avail, he really couldn’t help but ask.

“So, what are you looking for anyway?” Cory piped up after a particularly long period of silence. They hadn’t been talking for the most part, but after having nothing to do but watch his curiosities only grew. What could be so important to him to waste so much time trying to find?

Keppler jumped slightly at the other’s words, not expecting much conversation from someone he’d roped into helping him. He felt a little bad about dragging Cory around, having taken them slightly off course from time to time to broaden his search-- He could see the annoyance growing in the bigger mer’s features, but that had only made him search harder.

“Umm,” He stumbled, processing the question after a moment. His hand raised to rub the back of his neck and he looked away, slowing to a halt. It looked difficult for him to talk about.

“My little sister, she’s really sick, and she hasn’t been getting better for a while now. We’ve tried everything our healers have to offer but it hasn’t been enough.”

Cory fell silent, not expecting this response of all things. His stoic expression broke a little as his eyes widened, but he simply listened on.

“I heard one of them talking about a plant one day, but I didn’t catch the name of it-- they only said things like ‘miracle cure’ and ‘impossible to obtain’” Keppler continued, his face scrunching up as he mimicked their voices.

“But even after asking the elders what they were talking about, they still wouldn’t tell me anything except that it was nearby, but that I’d never find it and that I wasn’t allowed to try. But I had to do  _ something! _ ” Keppler whined, throwing up his hands in exasperation.

Cory hummed, taking in all the information at once. 

“So wait,” He started, brows furrowed in confusion. “You left your home in search of some ‘miracle plant’ all alone?” 

“Yeah, something like that..” The brunet nodded. He was well aware of how dangerous the idea was, and he promptly ignored the condescending tone in Cory’s voice.

“And you don’t know where this plant even grows?” The blonde pressed skeptically, crossing his arms. He felt like he already knew the answer, if the tetra’s wandering search so far had any say in the matter.

“..N-no,” Keppler admitted, still not making eye contact. “But I do know that it’s a bright blue and it glows both day and night, so it shouldn’t be that hard to find. But I’ve been looking for two days now, and I haven’t found  _ anything _ .” He added, his shoulders sagging in defeat.

Even if he did make it back home, empty handed or not, he was sure to get in trouble for breaking the rules. This whole trip really was just seeming like an overly dangerous waste of time, when he could be back home with his sister and spending time with her before he couldn’t anymore. But the idea of doing  _ nothing  _ just didn’t sit well with him.

As Keppler sat there in silence, looking like he’d rather be anywhere else, Cory’s eyes widened in shock. All of his annoyance of being dragged this way and that slowly faded as the words rang in his ears. The only plant he knew that fit that description  _ was  _ practically impossible to find, especially for someone of such a small stature. They were rare, and held in high regards by anyone who practiced medicine, as far as he knew.

Was he really out here looking for  _ that? _

“I think I know what you’re talking about, actually..” Cory said after a moment, a hand on his chin in thought.

The sudden look that the small mer shot him held enough hope to pierce his cold heart ten times over. Cory swallowed the lump that formed in his throat, unsure how to break the news to such an eager face.

“We call it  _ ghost moss _ , but you won’t find it up here.” He continued with a shake of his head, not missing how Keppler’s excitement faltered. “It only grows where light never touches. Supposedly. I’ve only ever seen it once before.”

“Where light never touches…” Keppler echoed the words, racking his brain for where somewhere like that could be. The only places coming to mind were very far away, or much too dangerous for him to venture alone. He was hoping that it would have just been farther beyond the shoal and past the flats where he’d never gone before, but not… this.

The blonde watched as the other’s thoughts began to spiral, his distress only growing.

It must have meant a lot to him to find this, if he had put his life in such a great risk. And all for his little sister. His face contorted as he tried to imagine the compassion; He never had a closeness like the tetra were rumored to have with their kin, all one big close-knit family. 

For Cory it was grow up fast, learn the basics of survival, then get left to fend for himself and start his own life at a young age. He never got to meet his older siblings, and only knew he had any because of how he had been compared to them. But as soon as he’d passed all of his parents’ challenges and proven to them that he was the best at survival, they vanished.

He’s met other people on his travels, and had other acquaintances whenever he stayed somewhere for more than a few months at a time, but never really had a true friendship or anyone he’d risk his own life for. He’d never gone out of his way to hang out with someone or seek another’s presence but, putting aside that owed him his life, he found that he didn’t mind Keppler’s company.

So when noticed the little mer start to visibly panic, he couldn’t help but intervene. 

“It’s okay,” He started, awkwardly drifting a little closer. “We ca--”

“No, it’s not okay!” Keppler cut him off, turning towards the larger mer in frustration. “I  _ have _ to do this! I- I can’t go home empty handed, she’ll just die if I do that!”

Cory’s expression soured. “That--”

“And I can’t disappoint them all even  _ more _ ! I thought I could do this,” He groaned, shoving his head into his hands as his panic rose.  _ “But I just left without saying goodbye and now they probably all think I’m dead and--” _

“ _ Kep-- _ ”

_ “--she might not even be there when I get back and--” _

Keppler’s words stopped to a sudden halt as his world was suddenly enveloped into darkness. He sucked in a sharp breath as he looked around, blinking furiously as his eyes adjusted, but once his vision sharpened he instantly realized where he was.

_ Encased in Cory’s hands. _

“ _ Calm down, _ ” The blonde’s voice rang all around him, making him freeze.

Keppler shook frantically, waiting for the giant walls of flesh to keep closing in and flattening him. But to his surprise, they just seemed to be..  _ holding _ him. 

"Just..  _ breathe."  _ Cory commanded. Somehow, he found himself following the orders and after a minute of regulating his roaring heartbeat he slowly started to come back to his senses. 

After a little bit Cory cautiously peeled open his hands to reveal the little mer in his palms. It probably wasn’t the best idea to just  _ do _ that, but he had to do  _ something  _ to tear him out of his downward spiral. He wasn’t the best in situations like this, so he knew that he had to say something fast unless he just wanted to make things worse.

For a moment the two sat there, simply staring at each other before Cory broke the silence.   
  
"Sorry," He mumbled, looking away awkwardly. While it had helped to calm him down somewhat, the tension that sat in the air now felt uncomfortable.

“I  _ might  _ know where to get it,” He reassured, watching some of the stress leave the smaller mer’s shoulders. “But it probably won’t be easy to find.”

“I.. I can’t ask you to help me with that..” Keppler replied, shaking his head. “It’s not your problem.”

Cory let out a long sigh. It really  _ wasn’t _ his problem, and he didn’t  _ have _ to help the little tetra at all, but after everything that happened he still felt indebted- If he could pass it on by trying to save his sisters life, then maybe he could pay a bit of it off.

“What was it you said,  _ ‘I don’t have to, but I am?’ _ ” The blonde said, recalling back to their earlier conversation with a cheeky grin.

Keppler fell silent.

“How about you fulfill your end of the deal and get me home, and I help you search for your plant?” He offered. He didn’t know where to find it for sure but he had a pretty good idea of where they could look. It wasn’t a guarantee, but he’s heard of it growing there at the very least.

A small smile crept across Keppler’s face once more- a look that fit him so much better than a worried frown. He nodded up at Cory, before realizing that he was still sitting in the other’s palms. With a start he pulled himself back into the open waters, promptly refusing to make eye contact or acknowledge how the absence of touch felt.

"We're not too far," Keppler commented, starting off in their initial direction again.

And once more, the two continued their journey.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hey! some small things at the end of the last chapter changed too, as well as this whole upload! sorry if the writing is bad or weird, this story is.. difficult for me to write for some reason. everything that im trying to convey just feels like it isn't coming across right, but I hope it doesn't sound as terrible to u lovely readers lmao. anyway! enjoy maybe <3

Keppler hadn't been lying when they said they weren't far. Before long Cory could recognize the flattening horizon as the flats that they had initially met in. The bottle was nowhere in sight, but the crevasse was. And Cory knew that just across that was _home_. 

Or well, what was left of it.

As the blonde looked around he was once again reminded of how barren the place had become, and a small scowl settled onto his face. As it was before, there wasn't another sign of life in sight.

He really was going to have to pick up and move again, wasn't he? He sighed to himself, wondering where he could even go. The small inlet he had woken up in this morning didn't seem like a terrible option, but he had no idea as to where it was except a vague general direction. Maybe he could pick somewhere with different vegetation this time and hope that there would be more to hunt, or maybe he could go far enough to find other mers once more. Needless to say his mind was racing with ideas of what to pack and where to go, and he'd hardly noticed how far he'd swam until Keppler had called his name. 

Cory pulled himself from his thoughts just in time to see the edge of the crevasse under an arm's reach away. He stopped in his tracks, forgetting for a moment the vastness of it, and looked back over at the tetra.

"..Where are you going?" He asked nervously, glancing at the hole.

Cory quirked an eyebrow. "Home?" He said. "I know where we are now." 

The brunet paused, not wanting to grow closer to where the ground simply _vanished_ . He was curious to see Cory's home, but didn't know that getting to the red reef meant passing _this_ ; It was big enough to fit a whole whale down there, let alone just himself! He hovered in place for a while, imagination running wild as his eyes glued to the blackness below. The things down there were probably hundreds of times more terrifying that the normal predators he's seen. He gulped, the shakiness returning to his limbs.

Cory noticed his hesitancy to move. He knew the feeling of terrifying insignificance the sight of it brought, but he couldn't imagine what it must appear like to Keppler.

"You don't have to come with me any further," He offered to the little mer, who looked absolutely dead set in not crossing. But Keppler said nothing in reply.

While he knew he was insignificantly small, especially when put beside mers of Cory’s size and bigger, nothing was putting his stature into perspective quite like the neverending abyss unfolding beneath him. He'd never felt anything like it before, and it gave him chills down to the bone.

But it wasn't just the sight of it that bothered him. As he stared, something else clicked that made him freeze 

_'Where light never touches'._

"You don't mean... It's in _there,_ is it..?" He asked after another dreadful minute of silence.

Cory let out a small sigh. "That was my first guess, yes." 

Keppler said nothing, completely transfixed. Pictures of his sister's face appeared in front of him as he stared, and he couldn't shake them away. He had to at least _try,_ for her sake. He sighed, understanding now why the elders had said that it was impossible to obtain-- The two of them really would need a miracle to find it at this point.

"Just stay here," Cory suggested, watching the myriad of emotions crossing the little mer’s face. "I'll be back with my things." 

_'Back to possibly risk my life'_ , He thought grimly, turning sharply before the mini mer could get another word in. It was absurd to imagine him exploring the crevasse, but he'd be lying if he said he didn't have some curiosities himself. 

He's seen nearby merchants sell the moss before, but only at very high demand considering where it grew. But lack of traffic up here may just as well apply to down below- Maybe it was just as empty there as it was above? He wouldn't know unless he went to see, he figured. Glancing down as he crossed once again revealed nothing, and he dwelled on his newfound determination as he instinctively followed the path home, trying to devise a plan of action. 

Home didn't have much for him to grab. It didn't take long for Cory to gather up all of the supplies he didn't want to live or die without, along with his emergency weapon which he sealed to his side using a makeshift kelp strap. It was a rather beautifully carved knife, and one of the rare things he actually commended the humans above for. He was lucky to have found it, but hoped that he wouldn't have to put it to any use. A few years ago he would have jumped at the challenge of a fight, but he knew better now than to go looking for trouble in places he's never been. 

With everything packed up he clutched his small bag of belongings closer to himself, and began swimming back to the edge where he had left Keppler. He felt a little bad about just abruptly leaving the other there, but the tetra had been on his own for a while before they met so Cory had hope that he wouldn't do anything idiotic enough to get himself killed in his short absence. 

And thankfully that hope seemed to pay off as two beady eyes poked out at him through a small patch of grass, followed by a bright red and blue tail. Cory smirked at Keppler’s sudden appearance, tossing his bag to the ground. 

"Y'know, you hide pretty well for something so colourful." He commented, but it didn't get a reaction of lightening the mood like he was hoping for. Instead, Keppler just kept staring at the abyss.

"....How deep is it?" He asked, but Cory knew the question's true implications. He sighed, dropping his lighthearted demeanour. This was something he'd thought a lot about on the swim back. 

"Don't worry about it," He waved a hand dismissively. "I'll go." 

"What? Cory, you--" 

"-- _Have a much better chance than you at surviving,_ " He finished the little mer's sentence, not wanting to deal with any more of his arguing. He knew the tetra would only try to stop him.

"Just. _Stay here_ ," He ordered. "We both know whatever's down there isn't going to let you go if you get caught." 

His words seemed to deter Keppler, who had already been on the fence with the thoughts of going in there at all. Maybe Cory was right, it probably _was_ safer for him up here. He agreed to stay put, if only to follow his word, But he couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt in his stomach as he watched the blonde's form disappear completely into the void below. 

A guilt that only grew, and that he could only ignore for so long.

~~~~~~~

Cory pushed on into the darkness, sticking to the walls of rock as close as he could as his vision dimmed to just a few feet in front of him. The water around him slowly grew colder, but as he ventured farther down he found that it wasn’t as bad as the stories made it out to be.

Truth be told he never thought he’d be doing this in a million years, if he hadn’t had a life debt to pay. Up top he was a feared predator, but down here was entirely new territory with beasts to match. He kept turning to watch his back, not liking the lack of vision that his eyes settled on every time he looked over his shoulder. It was unnerving to be so encased in darkness, to feel so small and alone.

But before the panic could settle in, Cory tried to calm his mind. He tried to mentally map his surroundings, to imagine how everything around him would look in the light. He told himself that he was just down here to look around, and nothing more. He knew how to fight, and knew how to find clever escapes-- Realistically he should be fine, and he used those thoughts of encouragement to steel his nerves as the water somehow got even _darker_ around him _._

He kept his hands along the cavern wall as he descended, but noticed a short ways down that it started to curve in. Cory figured he must be just a little beyond the point of vision from above, as he’d never noticed the walls shaped like this before. He kept trailing his hand across the rock, realizing that it only grew deeper from there. 

_A cave entrance._

Cory paused for a short moment, before cautiously swimming in. This would be the perfect place to search first-- It wouldn’t get much darker than a cave in the crevasse, and at least he didn't have to search all the way to the bottom quite yet. He wasn’t even sure if he had the guts to try that at all.

The entrance to it was at least five times the size of himself, and inwardly Cory hoped that whatever lived down here was currently away from home. The hair on the back of his neck rose in anticipation, but aside from strange sensations nothing felt truly out of the ordinary. 

He followed the cave entrance as far as it went, but before long two paths branched out before him. One snaked right, while a much bigger path turned to the left. He closed his eyes and paid close attention to the water, noticing the small current forming from the one on the right. Keeping his hand on the ceiling he took the left path, knowing that it would lead to a dead end. If the moss were to grow anywhere here, it would likely be as far in as it could reach. And if it wasn’t here at all, then he could scratch this cave off his list and get out of it for good. 

The longer he stayed, the worse his gut feelings got.

But as he turned another small corner in this winding path of uncertainty, something caught his eye. He pressed on in curiosity, eventually coming to a huge area at the end of the tunnel where his breath hitched in his throat. 

All around him, the walls were lined in a soft blue glow.

_He’d actually found it._

A small laugh escaped him as he hovered closer to it, hardly able to believe that it was all real, and that there was so much of it down here just sitting in the open. Even just a handful would be more than enough for Keppler’s whole family.

It was an incredible sight to behold, and Cory paused for a moment to stare in breathless wonder at the soft eerie glow that cascaded all over the rock around him as he reached for his knife to harvest some.

However he didn’t notice the dangerous shift in the atmosphere until it was too late.

“My, it’s truly been a while.” A deep voice rumbled behind him, and Cory’s feelings of triumphant success instantly vanished. Before he knew it he was being pushed to the ground, knife knocked out of hand.

“Hello, _little thief_.” 

A face came into view to match the voice, and Cory finally caught a glimpse in the dim light of just what he was up against. His heartrate quickened as his wide eyes landed on another mer much bigger than he was, holding him down with just her arm and learning over him with a menacing smile. He struggled to grab his blade, which had fallen just too far out of his reach, but his efforts were only rewarded by being pinned down harder. 

“Lisssten to me,” The voice hissed, and Cory could only obey as he felt bruises form. Fighting with all of his strength wouldn’t budge even a finger.

“For your kind’s greed I have sworn to end every mer I come across.” They snarled. “Too many times have I returned to these caves only to find them nearing empty. _It will not happen again._ ” The voice grew louder, the hand pushing him hard into the rock below. 

The blonde had been scared before, over many times in the course of his life, but this had to be true terror that he felt as he heard those words, looking up into vicious eyes so much larger and darker than his own. 

“I’m not here in greed,” Cory croaked out beneath the pressure, fighting the hand that dared to crush him.

Very slightly, a tiny amount of weight was lifted from his chest. 

"Oh? And what pitiful lies in lieu of truth will you weave to ease your escape, tressspasserrr?”

Cory swallowed the tight feeling rising in this throat.

“ _Hmm_?” The voice questioned him, but Cory couldn’t find the words. He only felt terror.

"I-I’m trying to help someone, a... friend, to-to save a life," He stuttered after a few moments, hating that he couldn’t hide the fear from his voice as his limbs began to shake. He sounded absolutely _pathetic_. 

A loud bark of laughter echoed through the cave, and the pressure resumed. 

“Don't tell me you expect me to believe that! Another ‘brave warrior’ has entered my domain, with a change of heart!" She mocked. “Laughable." 

Her face leaned in closer, eyes narrowed and teeth bared. She glanced over at his discarded knife, glinting in the soft blue glow. Many weapons had passed through here before. Many never saw the light of day again. 

“I’ve seen your kind challenge me for riches that are not theirs to take, heard countless of your pleas and ignored them all. Your tale of falsssehoods is no different to me than theirs.” 

Through his fear, Cory scowled. How hypocritical of her to accuse him of stealing in greed when her selfishness to keep it all was ending lives above.

"If you want to hoard it all, then just let me leave." He said in a vain attempt of being released.

But her frown only deepened.

“You will not leave here empty handed because you will not leave here at all." She spat. "What sssay you to that?" 

Cory clenched his jaw in anger, the pain and fear overwhelming his thoughts. He wanted to lash out, to fight like he’d been taught, to tell her off, but if truth be told the helplessness was starting to seep through his brave façade. She really didn’t care. _He really was going to die here._

"I--" his demeanor cracked as he tried to speak one last time, in hopes of finding anything to say to convince her mind to change, but his words were cut off by another voice entirely. It was distant, but definitely there.

"Cory..?" 

_Oh no._

Both of the larger mers' heads turned towards the cave entrance, where the voice grew closer.

Cory opened his mouth to try and tell Keppler to leave as fast as he could, but a hand larger than his entire head clamped over his mouth and held his words in tight. For a moment he considered biting and trying to escape that way, but he decided against it in favour of keeping his neck and potentially the rest of his bones intact. 

"Are you in here?" Keppler’s voice echoed off the stone around them.

The much larger mer peered over in interest, but stayed silent. 

"Look I- I’m sorry for following you but I think we should go back up.. M-maybe it’s just meant to be like this, yknow?" He rambled nervously as he blindly grew closer, still unable to see much of anything in front of him. The cold was starting to really get to him, but he refused to let it show.

Cory struggled in the grip that had loosened slightly in surprise, but the slack didn’t last long before the crushing grip returned. He let out a small pained noise, which bounced around in the silence until it reached the ears of the little mer. 

Keppler stopped dead in his tracks for a moment, before continuing forwards at full speed. He figured that the other disappeared into here from above, but wasn’t expecting to hear sounds of a struggle already. His heart raced as he pressed on, his guilt pushing the fear to the back of his mind. Cory had come down here on his behalf, so it was his fault that he was in trouble _. His fault if anything were to happen._

He followed the winding cave tunnels until he had reached the same room that the noise came from, but stopped dead in his tracks with a gasp at the sight. Before him was the biggest being he’s ever seen in his life, with a long strange tail and dark skin to match. She had Cory pinned to the ground with both hands, and looked about two heartbeats away from biting his head off.

Something either incredibly stupid or incredibly brave clicked into motion deep inside Keppler. He moved as fast as his little limbs would take him, planting himself between Cory and the giant face that loomed above.

“ _Stop, please!”_ He called out, surprised to find that he had the bravery to actually stand up for once. It didn’t feel as terrifying to willingly put himself in a giant’s path after doing it once before, he figured.

Both of his arms shot out in a protective manner, as if he could prevent someone so massive from moving another inch.

Somehow, it seemed to work.

"Ssso the thief doesn’t lie." She remarked, staring Keppler down and glancing between both mers. But her gaze seemed to linger on the little tetra a little longer in astonishment.

Keppler didn’t take long to process her words, and put two and two together. 

"He’s not a thief!" He protested, not breaking eye contact even though his entire body shook with fear.

"W-we didn't mean to steal, he was only trying to help me." He confessed. "Please, forgive us." 

Cory stared up at the little mer like he was insane. Had he really followed him in here, only to jump in front of someone thousands of times his size holding someone hostage, and ask them for _forgiveness_? Had the darkness made him lose his sanity already?

The giant eel narrowed her eyes. Cory figured that this was the end of it for both of them.

"...I’ve not seen a kind so small venture down here…” She replied, taking both of them off guard. “I'll admit to being impressed that you’ve reached so far.” 

Her face grew closer to Keppler in scrutinization and he backed away, acutely aware that he was barely bigger than both of her eyes. He gulped as he stared at her needle sharp teeth, realizing that her whole mouth was bigger than the little outcrops he used to play hide and seek in around home. Still, despite this, he stood his ground.

The largest of them seemed to shift to the side slightly, once again taking in the two travelers before her. 

“You haven’t yet called me vile and you have not tried to fight like the others- if you are not the warriors come to take me on, where did they all go?” She asked, a slight tinge of melancholy to her tone. “It has been so long.”

Much to Cory’s relief, she released a hand for him to actually answer properly. 

“It seems idiotic to fight you at such a disadvantage.” He stated plainly, verbally gesturing to how he was still pinned. "Everyone above is gone, so we thought it might be empty down here too." 

A long, heavy silence settled between the three of them as the largest mer thought everything over. She was the first to break the silence, her smile long faded.

“And if I were not here, how much would you take?” She asked, head tilted in curiosity.

"No more than a handful, we promise!” Keppler reassured. "Just enough to save my little sister-- we wouldn't take it all, I'm sure you need it too!" 

Her eyes narrowed even further, pausing to contemplate once more.

“I disssslike going back on my word,” she grumbled, “but I am not so heartless to deny one so small yet so brave a reward of such miniscule amount.” 

Reluctantly her hand retracted off of Cory, who immediately backed up in fear and confusion. 

The eel however, didn’t seem to pay him much mind.

"You may take a handful, nothing more." She finally replied, crossing her arms over her chest. “I will watch.”

She could see the endless questions rolling around behind the blonde’s eyes, but only gave him a long sigh in response.

“If this encounter is the last I will see from those who reside above, it is not the countless others who have come before that I want to remember, but you two _friends_ who differ greatly.” 

Keppler let out a breath that he hadn’t noticed he was holding, some of the tension leaving his body. It took him a second to piece together her strange speech, but once he realized that she was letting them proceed, he couldn’t help but let a huge smile overtake his features. 

Cory didn’t really understand her change of mind, and was by no means wasting any time in getting the two of them out of there with as little interaction as possible. He was cautious in picking up his knife again, but the larger mer only stared as he severed a few stems from their roots. His arms still shook as he held the blade, something that didn’t go unnoticed by the little tetra, but he said nothing about it. After all, he understood the feeling better than anyone.

The two simply looked on in interest as Cory gathered a small amount of the moss for them to take, drifting towards the exit as he finished. He was skeptical that she was just going to let them leave, but Keppler held onto the optimistic feeling that she would stick to her word. 

As promised, she did nothing but watch as the two of them left, her expression cold and unreadable. Cory didn’t spare a second glance before hightailing it out of there, but Keppler lingered a moment longer in the entryway. He gave the giant eel his honest thanks, and shot her the most heartfelt smile that he could muster before swiftly turning to catch up with Cory.

She may have been terrifying, but she still had a heart. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Following the ceiling of the tunnels brought them both back into the open waters, where they had felt their way back up to the surface before long.

Cory stared down at the abyss they had just swam out of, where everything had transpired, feeling a shudder of fear echo through him. He hadn’t felt like that before in his life, and quickly found that he didn’t want to ever again. His gaze darted over to Keppler, wondering for a brief moment if that was how the little mer had felt on the day that they first met.

It definitely put some things into perspective, but his attention didn’t stay divided for long as his eyes drifted down to the pile of plant matter in his hands. Keppler seemed to be staring at it too, as they’d both been too preoccupied with the cave’s lively resident to pay much attention to the details of it earlier.

After another minute of silence, the two locked eyes once more.

“Well, this is yours, I guess.” Cory said awkwardly, handing the moss out in Keppler’s direction. To him, their success meant that his debt had been paid off.

The tetra stared back at the handful, which was practically the size of his person. He took as much as he could carry into his arms, watching as Cory picked up his belongings and rummaged through his bag, seemingly lost in thought.

“..Where will you go?” He asked the blonde after a few moments of silence, nervously biting his lip.

Cory simply stared at the small bundle of fabric containing the majority of his belongings, at a loss for words. He didn’t answer, a sigh escaping his lips instead. 

He hadn’t the slightest idea of where to go, and he knew that was apparent by Keppler’s next words.

“..You can come with me,” He suggested, inching closer with a small smile. “If you want a guide. Really, I owe you.”

“Your ‘guiding’ could use a lot less danger,” Cory commented, shooting the brunet a sideways glance. But the idea of traveling alone just didn’t sit right with him for once. 

He noticed how Keppler clung to his presence, almost begging him not to leave. He also noticed how his own mind felt the same, feeling that it wasn’t right for the two of them to part just yet, even though their deal was done. Maybe he could travel with him a little longer, and find a place to stay along the way. Maybe he could see the little shoal where this wild tetra came from, and let them know of his bravery.

Maybe he didn’t have to be alone all the time, like he had been for so long.

“Alright,” Cory sighed after a long pause of what seemed like heavy consideration. “Lead on.”


	7. Chapter 7

Keppler knew the way home without a doubt in his heart. It was a much faster trip when his eyes weren’t glued to the ground looking for plants and he led them on with a new surge of determination, eager to get back and help his sister before it was too late. He’d  _ succeeded  _ let alone survived in this suicide mission he’d sent himself on, but he couldn’t have done it alone. 

Memories of being in the bottle came flooding back to him- it felt like such a long time ago, even though it was only yesterday. So much had happened since then, but nothing would have happened  _ at all _ if Cory hadn’t been there to save him. 

He was grateful that he’d taken the time to return the favour and help the bigger mer out, and gain an ally in return. Cory’s assistance in protecting him while he’d searched for hours was invaluable, even if he came up empty handed. But more than an ally, he considered him a  _ friend. _ Keppler couldn’t name a single other person that would willingly travel into something as scary as that abyss just for his sake. 

He looked behind him at the other, not surprised that they didn’t meet eyes. Ever since the incident in the crevasse Cory had been acting strange. While he was naturally a stoic and distant individual, it seemed to be enhanced lately. They hadn’t had much conversation in their journey so far, but there was still a little ways to go and Keppler couldn’t stand the silence much longer. The little tetra drifted a little closer, a million things running through his mind of what to say.

“Thank you..” He eventually blurted out, effectively gaining Cory’s attention.

“For everything. I wouldn’t have been able to save her without you.” Keppler continued. It was impossible to express the amount of gratitude he had for Cory’s help, and all of the words he wanted to say sat like a heavy weight in the bottom of his chest. 

Cory only nodded a humm in response.

“You’re still thinking about her..?” The brunet asked, brows furrowing.

Cory nodded, looking away.

An awkward moment of silence hung between them, with Keppler unsure of what to say. He understood completely the fear that Cory had felt in the grasp of the eel mer, but it seemed like that wasn’t the only thing that was bothering him. He bit his lip, unsure of how to help.

“..Why did she talk like that?” He asked instead, hoping that the shift in conversation would help.

“I don't think she gets many visitors.” Cory chuckled lightly. Keppler smiled in return.

He replayed everything that had happened, the events still fresh in his mind. He did get caught up on one thing though, and couldn’t help but ask with a bit of rising hope in his voice.

“Did you.. really tell her we were friends?”

“I.. I just panicked, I guess.” Cory replied with the wave of an arm, any trace of a chuckle vanished. He was still looking away, but Keppler didn’t miss how his eyes had widened just a fraction.

"Oh." was all the brunet said in response, feeling a little disheartened. Maybe the feelings he had weren’t mutual.

"Yeah, she was pretty scary,” He agreed, shaking it off.

The conversation didn’t seem to want to carry on from there, despite the silence between them being even worse than it was before. Keppler chewed on his lip, trying not to think about it as they moved on. 

The familiar rocky ground was slowly starting to grow steeper once more, as was the towering vegetation on all sides of him. His home was well hidden in the little crooks of rocks and sand that dotted the environment- they’d never had an intruder before in his lifetime, their sentinels made sure of that. So as the pair grew closer by the minute, he only grew more anxious.

He was a thousand tracks of thought deep when a sudden familiar accented voice pulled him out of it. 

“Keppler..?” She called, swimming closer. “Is that really you? Oh it’s been  _ days _ where have ya be--” 

Her sentence was cut short with a scream of terror as Cory came around the corner, no longer hidden from the tetra’s point of view by the walls of rock. The massive mer raised an eyebrow in interest, but stopped his approach.

Keppler looked over at the other mer, overwhelmed with joy to see one of his own kin. 

It was Amira, one of his friends from a few classes higher in school who became one of the village’s many patrol members after she’d graduated. He hadn’t seen her much since she’d joined the job, but they were still good friends.

Her curly dark hair was pulled back tightly, and she wore a woven band around her tail- a symbol of authority that anyone in the shoal would be quick to recognize. In her hands was a spear, that she gripped so hard her knuckles were turning white. 

Her gaze was locked onto Cory in absolute terror, fighting against all of her training with the urge to swim away.

“It’s okay!” Keppler explained as he grew closer, his hands waving in a panic. “Don’t worry, he’s with me!”

Amira said nothing as she stared up, eyes wide. She knew that it was her job to protect the village, but she’d never seen a mer as big as  _ this  _ before. Her eyes trailed down from his intense gaze, to his mouth that no doubt had teeth as big as her spearhead, and landed on his massive clawed hands which rested at his sides. He looked dangerous through and through, making Keppler’s words hard to believe. 

But he was by her side now, placing a gentle hand on one of Amira’s very tense shoulders. Her gaze was momentarily torn from Cory, meeting Keppler’s deep brown eyes. 

“It’s  _ okay, _ ” Keppler reassured. “He’s… safe to be around. It’s kind of a long story, but we just really need to see the healers.”

Before she could answer, another panicked voice called out.

“Amira? You okay?” In the distance, another tetra mer grew closer.

“I heard you… yell…” The other patrol mer’s voice tapered off as he rounded the same corner that Amira had, Cory’s entire presence having the same effect on him as it did to her. His body went rigid, hands immediately tightening on the spear. 

"Oz look, Kep's alive!" Amira exclaimed with a big smile, pulling the brunet into a short hug. 

Oscar, the other sentinel, looked over to Keppler and Amira, his eyes lingering on the brunet. His fear didn’t seem to abate, but his expression fell into a scowl.

"So the deserter comes back,” He scoffed, narrowing his eyes. “Empty handed with  _ the enemy  _ in tow?" 

Keppler was taken aback at the other’s venomous words, giving him back a frown of his own. He and Oscar had never really seen eye to eye before, always somehow on each other's nerves since school. He was a known jerk, and Keppler tried to avoid the older mer at any cost.

"He’s not- I- you know that's not why I left!” Keppler stuttered, annoyance bubbling under his skin. This was the last person he wanted to be dealing with right now; The people in his village will likely be welcoming after learning that Cory isn’t a threat. But Oscar was always a skeptic.

“Besides,” He continued matter of factly. “He’s not our enemy, and we’re  _ not _ empty handed.” 

At that Oscar was silent for once, a suspicious brow raised.

“Wait, so you actually found it?” Amira asked, her eyes wide with hope. 

Keppler nodded enthusiastically, gesturing to the looming mer behind him. “Actually, Cory knew where it was, and he h--”

“Oh Kep that’s  _ wonderful! _ ” Amira shouted, interrupting him by pulling him into another hug. They’d both been worried sick about his little sister, and knew that this would help her tremendously.

“We have to bring you back to the healers right away, they’ll know what to do!” She spoke quickly, tugging on Keppler’s arm in the direction of their home.

Oscar was quick to stop her.

“No, we can’t just let a  _ predator  _ in here, that kind of goes against our job.” He said irritably, interposing himself between the three of them and their home.

“Well, if Keppler trusts him, then we should too, right....?” Amira frowned, looking a little troubled. She looked over at the brunet, missing the sharp look of doubt that Oscar shot her way.

“ _ Yes! _ ” Keppler nodded. “He saved my life-- he won’t hurt any of us!" 

“ _ He'll terrorize the entire village! _ ” Oscar retaliated. Cory’s eyes only narrowed, but he didn’t intervene.

“No one in the shoal will feel safe to come out of their homes with him around.” Oscar continued, his expression just as sour.”

Keppler pulled his hand out of Amira’s grip, a frown forming of his own as he looked over at the black haired mer.

“They will once they see that he's not a threat! You guys aren't  _ scared  _ are you?” He asked, a little more taunting than he meant to be. After all, he’d been completely terrified his first time meeting Cory too.

Oscar’s scowl deepened for a few solid seconds before he opened his mouth to argue more, but he couldn't get a word out before Amira interjected.

“Just.. a lil’  _ worried _ is all, Kep..” She said, more serious than he’d seen her be in a while. She raised a hand, nervously rubbing the back of her neck. “I think Oscar might be right, people might be frightened..”

A heavy silence fell around all four of them, but it lasted only a few seconds.

“....Just give him a chance?” Keppler asked.

After watching everything go down, Cory couldn’t stay silent any longer. He was no stranger to biting his tongue through rocky introductions, but he knew that Keppler was technically in a rush and knew when to back off before things became more than they were worth.

“If it’s this big of a problem, I can just give you what you need and go.” He offered. His sudden deep voice made all of their heads whip over to him.

Kepplers expression wilted. Was he really willing to part just like that? After all they’d been through? They’d only known each other for a short period of time, but they'd really been there for each other when they needed it.

“No! I..” He wanted nothing more than to explain how badly he wanted Cory to stay, that he didn’t want one of his only friends to leave so soon, but he couldn’t find the words. Not here, not now.

“I just wanted to show you my home.." He forced out instead, looking back over at Amira with guppy eyes. 

“Plleeaaaassseeee?”

Amira looked over at her coworker. “I don’t think he's givin’ up anytime soon.” She sighed.

Oscar rolled his eyes, his grip tightening on his spear. “Well neither am I. I don’t think we should let him in.”

“...Why don’t we just ask the elders?” She proposed after a moment. “That way we can take the plant in at the same time, and give the people a heads up?”

Everyone was silent as they looked at Oscar for his answer, whose face was contorting in thought.

“Fine,” He spat after a few seconds. “But someone has to stay here and watch, we can’t just abandon our posts.” Despite his gruff demeanour, it was clear as day that he was still on edge with Cory around.

“Then you two go, I’ll stay.” Amira offered in a sudden burst of bravery. She and Cory locked eyes in surprise, but the moment was brief.

Oscar seemed hesitant, but agreed after some consideration. He didn’t like the thoughts of leaving her out there alone with him, but it was the best compromise that could be made in the moment, and he hoped that she could handle herself if something were to go wrong.

Keppler cracked a small smile, glad to see that things were sort of working out. 

“I’m sorry.. I’ll come get you as soon as I have permission to, I promise!” He said as he swam a little closer to Cory. “..Can I have the moss?”

“It’s fine, I’ll wait.” Cory answered as he repositioned his bag around his shoulder, rummaging through it for the plant. His hand grasped the small amount with ease, and he handed it to Keppler as gently as he could. He’d never been so cautious of his movements before, never having been so aware of how it felt to be affected by such a larger presence until now. 

Everybody stared, but Keppler didn’t flinch a muscle as Cory’s hand grew closer. He struggled to take all of the moss from the giant digits at once, but managed to get a little bit closer to the others before motioning to Oscar for help. The older tetra rolled his eyes once more, but helped share the load. 

With one last glance over their shoulders the two of them had disappeared into the horizon, leaving Cory and Amira all alone.

The small tetra hovered a safe distance away, looking like she had so much to say but no words at her disposal. Cory didn't miss her little glances in his direction, but chose to say nothing as they sat and waited. He repositioned himself against the rock, unable to find comfort with the growing ache in his back from the incident in the ravine.

"Sorry ‘bout Oscar," Amira apologized after the silence became too much for her to bear, nervously playing with her ponytail. "He's got good intentions, he's just….." She trailed off with a wave of her hand, her words failing her once more. 

“It’s fine,” Cory said with a shrug; He’d been called worse things before. Besides, the guy may be a jerk but it was only rational for him to be afraid. Amira though, had actually  _ volunteered  _ to be in his presence.

"...Do I scare you? He asked after a moment of silence, looking over at her. 

The tetra tensed up, her attention fully on him now as she looked his way. This was the second time she had actually looked at him, and fully met his stare.

"I.. Uh..." Amira faltered, afraid to give him the wrong answer. But she swallowed her reply in favor of taking a better look at him.

Upon first glance Cory easily looked like a vicious hunter to her, someone she would definitely avoid in open waters, but as she looked closer she found little details amongst his scary features that she hadn't seen before. 

He didn't seem as menacing sitting there now, compared to when he was hovering above Keppler before; his expression no longer looked set in anger, but just  _ fatigue _ . She didn't miss how his ribs protruded slightly, looking like he hadn't had a full meal in weeks. And how those clawed hands, meant for ripping things apart, had been so careful around Keppler. He was still terrifyingly big, but she realized that it was just his  _ size _ that put her off, and not  _ him _ himself. After all he was hanging around Keppler, of all people- he couldn’t be  _ that _ bad!

Slowly she found that her fear was ebbing away, and being replaced with awe.

"...I think you’re fascinating, actually." Amira answered honestly. "Never thought I’d meet someone from outside of the village, let alone someone so.. big." She said, awkwardly gesturing his way.

Cory stared with a slight smirk as she spoke, a little shocked under the surface. No one had ever called him  _ fascinating _ before. 

“That’s why I actually wanted to become part of the patrol, so that I could maybe see somethin’ other than what’s in the walls of the village for once in my life.” She continued, returning the small smile.

“Anyway, meetin’ ya’s been nice. Where ya from, if I can ask?"

“I travel a lot,” He shrugged, staring out into the open ocean. It was hard to imagine a life of such solitude, of never meeting someone other than those in your home.

“But where I live your kind calls the ‘red reef’, I believe. Or at least Keppler did."

Amira’s eyes widened, surprised to think that her adventurous friend had gone that far alone. Although, he technically  _ wasn’t  _ alone.

“So how did you two meet..?” She asked after a moment, the burning question finally escaped.

“He chose the worst of hiding spots-- dove right into a bottle in the path of a net. The little shellbrain almost got himself swept up.” Cory chuckled, shaking his head lightly. In the moment he’d been irritated by it, but thinking back to it now he recalled it fondly.

“I picked up the bottle, and after letting him go he just sort of.. stuck around.” The blonde shrugged, but he didn’t seem at all bothered. Keppler was definitely an odd mer, but he found that he was also oddly fun to be around. He’s met a lot of people in his travels, most of which he wouldn’t waste his breath on, but he didn’t mind waiting here for the tetra’s return, knowing that he would return with news to relay in some excited way.

“Thank you.” Amira spoke up, tearing him from his thoughts as she drifted a little closer. “For savin’ him. It really means a lot- everyone in the village has been so worked up ever since he just up an’ left, ‘specially his parents.”

“That’s why we’re stationed so far away,” She sighed, the sound amplifying her tired features. “To look for him.”

“You’re a close bunch, aren’t you?” He asked, narrowing his eyes in thought. “Always watching each other’s backs. I’d never seen one of you so far out before… I wasn’t about to watch him die.” 

“And I don’t eat  _ people _ either.” He tacked on for good measure.

“..Y’know, you’re alright.” Amira said after a few moments, her small smile returning. “I can see why Kep would hang around you.”

“..Thanks.” Cory looked away, unsure how to process the compliment. It was a kill or be killed world out there, and pleasant company wasn’t something he was used to.

“Can I.. see your hand?” She asked suddenly, inching forward with hesitance.

Cory cocked a surprised eyebrow in her direction, unsure of her motive.

“It’s just..  _ Interesting _ .” She explained. “How different we are, yet so similar.” 

The bigger mer’s smirk returned; He felt that they were far from similar, but if she was over her fear enough to be curious of him then he would happily oblige. He shifted once more to bring a hand closer to her, noticing her limbs tense up again. She looked like she was fighting the urge to flee, but she surprisingly held her ground until his fingers stopped just a few inches short of her body.

Amira’s heart rate quickened as she watched it approach, her nerves on edge from the overwhelmingness of it all. His hands had seemed big before, but it was nothing compared to being right next to them. If she was curled up, he could encase her entirely! Her eyes and mouth both widened in awe, and she briefly looked up at Cory for any sign to stop before closing the gap with her own touch.

Cautiously she reached out, placing her own hands against the pads of his fingers. They barely covered the surface. 

“Woah..” She breathed, taking in the otherworldly sight before her. 

Cory gave her a moment to adjust before gently moving his fingers to expose the webbing between them, and his open palm. The tetra squeaked in shock at the movement and shot her arms back to her chest, but was quick to recognize the invitation. She gave him an apologetic look as she recovered, moving to inspect the rest of his hand in fascination. 

The two spent the rest of their time waiting asking each other small things and pondering over their differences. After a while Amira had nestled herself into the nearby rock as well, claiming that it would still likely be a bit before anyone returned. The whole atmosphere had changed for the better, and only continued to do so as she grew more and more comfortable around him. It was silent once more, but it was one that was completely bearable.

Cory’s eyes had closed as he tried to conserve his energy for the rest of the evening, his hands wrapped loosely around his sides.

He must have been tired than he thought he was though, because to his surprise, he'd fallen asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Keppler wasted no time in heading home, following the familiar twists and turns of the familiar rocky shoal like he had many times before. Not many tetras left the village walls- it was strictly advised against by the elders, but it wasn’t forbidden. Ever since he was a kid he had an interest in exploring, in seeing what was out there. The fact that his kind was among some of the smallest mer species deterred most of the others from leaving their communal bubble of safety, but it had only ever intrigued him.

Oscar didn’t say a single thing on their trip back to the village. Not a ‘where did you go’, not a ‘welcome back’, not even a ‘you’re an idiot’. It wasn’t unusual for him not to speak much, unless the two were fighting, but his silence now was a little off-putting to Keppler. He kept stealing glances over at the brooding mer, who only looked dead ahead with his usual scowl as they swam.

“I assume you’re heading to the healers first?” Oscar eventually broke the stifling silence, still not looking his way. The outskirts of home was just around the corner.

“Yeah..” Keppler nodded, voice drenched in concern. He knew that as soon as he got back he would be in trouble for leaving, but more importantly he worried that the elders would say no to letting Cory in. They had a strict policy against dangerous outsiders, but he vaguely remembered other travelers that had stopped by before, so hopefully they could make an exception once more!

“If that’s enough for you, I’m taking the rest to the elders.” Oscar said, finally looking over to Keppler. 

The brunet met his flat expression, and he glanced down to the armfuls of moss they were each currently carrying. There was definitely a lot of it- what he had right now was likely more than enough to help heal his sister, and maybe even some of the other patients if there are any. 

“It should be fine but… shouldn’t we just give it all to the healers..?” He asked hesitantly, wondering what use it would serve sitting there instead of being repurposed.

“Eventually, yeah.” Oscar rolled his eyes. “But they’ll probably want to see it too. Not to mention I have to tell them about your ‘glorious return’, and warn them about our upcoming _intruder_.” 

Keppler’s eyes widened, wishing he could be two places at once. He wanted so badly to go to his sister’s side, but also wanted to be the one to break the news to the elders and ask for their permission. If Oscar were to go, he’d probably twist his words and make them think it was a bad idea, before Keppler could even explain! 

“I--” Keppler stammered, trying to not let the older mer get under his skin. He didn’t have _time_ to argue, damn it!

“ _Fine_ , tell them whatever!” Keppler sighed in frustration. The elders weren’t quick to pick sides, so maybe they’d hear him out too and reconsider? 

He held onto that hope as he sped away faster than before, leaving Oscar behind. His sister took priority.

\--

Unsurprisingly, racing through the passages of his home with an armful of glowing moss after being gone for days didn’t go unnoticed. Many others had noticed him darting by, some even leaving their homes to speak to him, but Keppler only gave them a ‘Can’t talk!’ and headed straight for the little cave at the bottom of the main rock arch. He’d know the way there blindfolded with how much he’d visited his sister.

One of the healers, Grotta, was leaning against the outer wall of the alcove, looking exhausted. She was the older of the two that worked here, having been a healer for all of Keppler’s life, and much before it too. Her long silver hair was pulled back into a bun, except for the two strands of hair decorated with beads and glass that blew gently in the current.

She cracked an eye at the call of her name, but soon came back to life as she realized who it was and what he was holding. She was speechless for a moment, feelings of relief and surprise flooding through her at the little tetra’s return.

“Keppler, you made it back...” she said incredulously. She offered him a genuine smile, but her eyes lingered on the moss like it was the most valuable thing she’d ever seen in the world. And unbeknownst to Keppler, it _was_. 

He was ushered inside quickly, and an assistant took the plant from his arms as he was nudged towards where his sister stayed. The healers and their assistants disappeared into a different pocket in the wall, where they proceeded to do a lot of whispering, and a lot of inspecting of the moss. Keppler couldn’t pick much of it up, and didn’t want to waste the time trying.

He spun in the water, trailing his hand along the rock as he took the familiar trip down the short hall, heart hammering in his chest. It always hurt him to see his sister in such a bad condition, but he was comforted by the thoughts that he’d finally be able to tell her she’d be okay, and _actually mean it_. He took a deep breath and replaced his worried look with a smile before turning the corner into her ‘room’, but it didn’t last long.

His eyes widened in surprise at the sight of their mother, who was at his sleeping little sister’s side. His mother that he’d just left without saying goodbye to, that for a few points over his trip he never thought he’d see again. 

Her shock at the sight of him was ten times as strong, and the stillness only lasted a few seconds before she shot across the room, closing the gap between them and pulling him into the biggest hug she’d given him in a while.

“Oh Kep, you’re alright!” She exclaimed, pulling him closer to him. The brunet hugged back just as hard.

“I thought I was going to lose you both,” She whispered. “Nobody knew where you went and--” His mother abruptly cut herself off, pulling him back to arms length and looking at him quizzically. “Where the hell _have_ you been?” 

“It’s a long story,” Keppler sighed through his teeth, looking away sheepishly. “I promise I’ll tell you later, a-and I’m really sorry for just leaving like that… but I did it, I found a cure for her!” 

He looked between the two of them with a smile, reveling in the look of hope that flashed across his mother’s face.

As if on cue, Grotta entered the room with her assistant in tow. 

She explained with good news that they _would_ be able to extract the moss’s medicinal properties, but that it would take a couple of days to do, at best. They warned the family that even though it’d likely be successful, they couldn’t guarantee a full recovery. Still, they had to try.

They offered to let them stay by his sister’s side while they worked on a cure, but other than that they said that things would remain the same until they came to them with updated news of her condition. They both agreed to stay a little longer, as Keppler wanted to say hello to her, but he knew that she wasn’t even aware of his presence. She was often too sick to wake up.

A few minutes ticked by before he remembered that Cory was waiting for him, and he jumped into motion to go visit the elders with a small ‘be right back’. 

His mother however, wasn’t having any of it.

“Oh _no way_ .” She demanded, placing herself between him and the exit. “You were just gone for _days!_ You’re not going anywhere but home for a whole moon cycle.” 

“ _Whyyyy?!_ ” Keppler groaned, his fists balling. “It’s not _forbidden_ to leave, and I _had to_! For her...” He sighed, pointing behind them to his sister.

“It’s forbidden when _I say it is._ ” She retorted, giving Keppler a sharp look and crossing her arms.

“ _Moooom,_ I’m not just a kid anymore! I’ve grown! And I have to go see the elders...” The young tetra looked away, nervously playing with his hands.

His mother sighed, bringing a hand up to rub her temples. Keppler only filled the silence.

“There’s someone I want you to meet… but he can’t come into the village unless they say yes, so…..” He trailed off, gesturing awkwardly to the door that she was blocking.

The look that she gave him was nothing short of pure disapproval and confusion. She wasn’t happy to know that her son was trying to bring strangers from the ocean home, but she seemed to give up her internal battle after a few seconds, letting out a long sigh. Her arms unfolded, falling gently to her sides.

“Please? He’s waiting for me.” He pushed.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but you better have a damn good explanation for me later.” His mother sighed, slowly moving to the side so that he could go by. She looked at him skeptically, like he was just going to leave again and never come back to see her. 

Keppler smiled reassuringly, the tension in his body dissipating. “It’s okay,” He said, pulling her into a hug. “I’ll be back.”

“I hope so..” She muttered, watching him leave once again.

\------

The cave where the elders lived was the most visible place in the entire village, nestled deep into the highest point of the rocks. The entrance to it was decorated with shells of all different sizes, all intricately placed to form a pattern. Many of the homes that dotted the village walls were decorated as well, but not to this extent. It was an incredible sight to behold, and the mer couldn’t help but stare in awe every time he entered.

“Ah, young Keppler, you’ve returned.” A familiar voice spoke softly. A shadowed figure was hovering near the entrance, but Keppler was quick to identify it as elder Farris by his big-bearded silhouette. He’d spent a lot of time with the man, not having many friends to hang out with in the village growing up, and out of the four elders he liked him the most.

“Farris!” He shouted, barreling into the elder mer with a full force hug. The other only chuckled deeply in reply, placing a hand on Keppler’s back. The others weren’t much for physical affection, especially when it came to reciprocating it, but Farris had never seemed to mind.

“It is good to see you again,” he smiled. “Please, come tell us how your journey went.” 

With the way he spoke Keppler had a feeling that Oscar had already been here and mentioned something. He didn’t seem upset in the slightest, but the little mer didn’t hesitate to go tell them the truth.

\------

The room was quiet as the four of them pondered everything Keppler had told them, all of them staring at him in contemplation. He’d explained everything from hiding in the bottle, to helping Cory out, to gaining his help in return, and saving his sister’s life in the process. He explained that even after repeatedly putting himself in ‘danger’ by going near the bigger mer, he was anything but a threat. But a couple of them still seemed on edge, having the same fears about the public that Oscar and Amira had.

“I see..” Elder Farris eventually spoke up. “How long would this friend of yours be staying?” He asked with a hum, giving a slight tilt to his head.

“You can’t be serious,” Elder Borrok chimed in with a disapproving glare. “You know our rules regarding dangerous intruders. We cannot allow someone like that in here without causing mass panic!” 

“But he’s nice, really!--” Keppler tried to argue, but was silenced by Farris raising his hand. 

“We have had other travelers visit our home before,” The bearded mer reminded his kin. “And it brought the people joy for weeks.” 

“Those travelers were _merchants_.” One of the others retorted. “They had much to offer, unlike this giant.” 

“Material possessions do not have any value over the knowledge he could provide.” Farris retaliated calmly. “Everything has worth.” 

“...What do you hope to gain by bringing him here?” Elder Borrok asked skeptically, now looking directly at Keppler.

The brunet swallowed, knowing that this was his only chance to convince them to let Cory in.

“I- I just think it would be cool for people to meet such a.. _different_ outsider, to let them see something they’ve never seen before, and show them that the outside isn't as scary as it seems!” 

“Our fear is what keeps us alive.” Elder Borrok grimly reminded him.

“I know…” Keppler deflated, his shoulders sagging a little in defeat. “But just this once, can’t we be curious rather than scared?”

“I, for one, think we should trust the youth in their expertise of new experiences.” Farris stated with a smile, clearly on board with seeing this mysterious stranger that had befriended one of their own, and hovered around their village’s outskirts.

Silence and wary stares hung around the group once more as everything was thought over, and a final decision was made. Surprisingly, despite knowing the risks, they had agreed to meet Cory in person and decide for themselves. 

Keppler’s smile couldn’t be any bigger than what it was in that moment, and he thanked the village elders profusely for their sanction as he left the hall, headed straight for his companions.


End file.
